What is the future of travel? Answering that is Skift’s editorial mission, and the release of our annual Megatrends is core to that mission.
06.12.2023 - 04:33 / skift.com / Brian Chesky / Dennis Schaal / Joe Gebbia / Nathan Blecharczyk
Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, who left his full-time role at the company a year ago, has sold more than $1.37 billion worth of his Class A shares since that time, including more than $1 billion so far in 2023, according to regulatory filings, Bloomberg reported. Gebbia still chairs the non-profit Airbnb.org, but more importantly, he retains the bulk — but not all — of his Class B shares, which now give him 19.8% of Airbnb’s voting power. Together with his two other co-founders, CEO Brian Chesky (30.6%) and Chief Strategy Officer Nathan Blecharczyk (26.9%), they control 77.3% of Airbnb’s voting power.
Incidentally, the Airbnb co-founder troika’s combined voting power of 77.3% in 2023 was a significant increase from 72% in 2022. In a December 4, 2020 pact, the threesome agreed to vote for each others’ nominations to the board of directors, and to oppose their ouster.
Gebbia, who Bloomberg said has a net worth of close to $9 billion, is co-founder and majority investor in San Francisco-based Samara, which makes diminutive, modular homes. That company was seeded in Airbnb’s design studio, which Gebbia headed, and Airbnb transferred assets to the new company to help make it happen.
Meanwhile, if Gebbia is cashing in a portion of his Airbnb shares, the number of institutional investors and funds with reportable stakes in Airbnb increased 7% sequentially in the second quarter to 1,691, Fintel reported. AGTHX—Growth Fund of America increased its ownership in Airbnb to 2.76% of the company in the second quarter; and Capital Research Global Investors (2.43%), Wellington Management Group (2.06%), Polen Capital Management (1.89%), and Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund (1.81%) all increased their Airbnb stakes, as well.
San Francisco-based Sonder operates rooms in multi-family apartments, and increasingly hotels, which it wants younger generations of guests, in particular, to be able to find. Thus we reported Monday that Sonder launched its first hotel collection, dubbed Powered by Sonder.
Listed on all the big platforms such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia. com, Hotels.com and others, as well as Sonder.com, the 23 hotels in 13 markets to date lean toward being boutique hotels, and some of them stand out from other Sonder-operated hotels because they have onsite food and beverage. Powered by Sonder markets include Paris, Nice, New York City and Los Angeles, among other destinations.
Sonder Launches Its First Hotel Collection
Places like Garrett County, Maryland, saw boom times in home sales and home prices early in the pandemic. But now a big bump in vacation rental listings and people opting to fly instead of drive for vacation has led occupancy and vacation rental prices to drop considerably.
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What is the future of travel? Answering that is Skift’s editorial mission, and the release of our annual Megatrends is core to that mission.
Although it has been years since I’ve traveled in mesmerizing Tokyo, my memories are as vivid as though they had been sparked yesterday—pleasures aswirl in unique flavors and noises, creativity and ingenuity. So when luxury publisher Assouline released the new book Tokyo Chic, I dove into its 312 lush-paper-stock pages, with more than 200 photographs and illustrations, which are bound in an outsize (10-by-13-inches, 6.4-pound) format—a hefty hardcover wrapped in silk. The brainchild of Andrea Fazzari, whose deft imagery and words are love letters to the inimitable capital, Tokyo Chic showcases a massively enthralling—yet strikingly intimate—city. Currently based in Tokyo, Fazzari is a James Beard Award-winning photographer, author and restaurant maven with notable backgrounds in fashion and film. Born in New York City, she has lived in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain and Thailand—and speaks four languages. What a sophisticated guide to have at your armchair traveler’s fingertips! Indeed, this coffee table tome would make a treasured holiday gift for those who have already vacationed in Japan or simply dream of doing so.
HomeToGo, the short-term rental comparison-shopping engine, acquired a 51% majority stake in two German companies: KMW Reisen and Super Urlaub.
One summer, many years ago when I was 17, I met a Dutch girl in a pub who was backpacking around Ireland. She said she was staying in hostels and was off to Doolin in County Clare the next day. Somehow, I hadn’t realised it was that easy to strike out and see the world. The next morning I took the bus to Doolin and began a lifelong love of independent travel and the open road. I never saw the Dutch girl again despite a full search of every pub in the village.
Iceland’s Blue Lagoon reopened over the weekend for the first time since closing over volcanic activity last month.
The ancient Kingdom of Fife is steeped in rich history and dramatic scenery. The region is located on a sprawling peninsula on Scotland’s east coast, appreciated for its cinematic scale, ambience, and pure sense of drama. The name ‘Kingdom of Fife’ derives from its historical significance as one of the major Pictish kingdoms, once known as Fib. This four-day itinerary guides visitors through the region’s charming fishing villages, to iconic landmarks and across wild coastal paths. It's a place where visitors can escape, relax and unwind. Explore the historic home of Scotland’s ancient monarchs and tuck into world-class local produce — all within an easy drive from Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city.
Blue Lagoon Iceland will reopen its geothermal spa and some restaurants to guests on December 17, it said in an statement Friday.
Illinois is brimming with festive activities and unique experiences, promising to be the go-to destination for an unforgettable winter experience. Lean into the holiday season in December, partake in outdoor winter activities and meet the Bald Eagles of Illinois in January, and indulge in Chicago’s theatre scene and automotive heritage in February.
In some parts of Europe, high prices and Christmas markets go hand in hand. But in others, this year’s soaring costs have come as a shock.
Airbnb launched its Host Clubs in 2016, in part to help with local campaigns against regulatory clampdowns. Now, it is seeking to expand these clubs.
The White House is announcing billions of dollars in new funding for train projects from coast to coast.
Booking Holdings Chief Financial Officer David Goulden said this week that the flagship Booking.com brand launched its short-term rental business as a supplement to hotels “15-plus years” ago, which is roughly around the time Airbnb got going in San Francisco.